


Young Justice: Red X

by Hexalys



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Batfamily Feels, Because I'm Sadisitic, Because The Main Characters Are Teenagers, Character Death, Concerned Batman, Gen, Injuries Ahead, Interested Deathstroke, Joker Is Mark Hamill, Scheming Light, Slightly Graphic Torture Scenes, Strong Red X, Team Bonding, Teen Angst, but not really, like a lot of them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 15:09:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1554758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexalys/pseuds/Hexalys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin, the leader of the Teen Titans, wakes up in a new world, Earth-16. Trapped in the parallel dimension, he takes up the alias Red X to help fight the good fight. He soon joins a team made up of young heroes, battling against enemies both new and familiar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red X Reborn Part l

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Teen Titans or Young Justice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired to write this story after reading Robin's Adventure written by LordGodsServant.
> 
> In this crossover the Teen Titans history has a major AU twist. Raven killed herself in order to stop her father's revival, but failed in the end, giving her life up for nothing. Everything else follows the cannon from the cartoon up to this chapter, of course excluding the parts involving Raven. Don’t worry I will explain her death and how it affected the others.

**JUMP CITY: March 24, 21:11 PDT**

"Robin, we got to close that Black Hole now! It's causing serious damage to Earth's atmosphere and if we don't stop it soon, there ain't gonna be an Earth left to save!" Cyborg shouted in order for his voice to be heard over the tremendous winds that said Black Hole was causing. Robin nodded as he quickly handed the Brain over to a chained Monsieur Mallah to hang onto. After the Brotherhoods attempt to recruit numerous villains in order to destroy the Teen Titans four months ago had failed, the Brain had gone back to his abandoned plans of making another Black Hole Generator.

The Doom Patrol had been in space for the last week, assisting the Justice League in some off world crisis, so the Teen Titans had known that they were the only ones left to stop the Brotherhood. Unfortunately they’d arrived too late.

The Black Hole was now stable, but also out of the Brain’s control as it kept expanding in size. At this rate, it was only a few short minutes away from swallowing the world. Then it move on to the rest of the universe, devouring everything. Robin swore that if they lived through this, he'd test just how durable a human brain could be. He quickly launched his grappling gun and swung his way to Cyborg, fighting against the vacuum of the black hole and dodging debris. Cyborg was taking shelter behind a fallen pillar, likely running every possible diagnostic scan he could to figure out how to close the Hole.

"Do you have any ideas on how to stop it?!" Robin asked in a shout as he landed next to his second in command and shot a glance at the others to make sure they were okay. Starfire was keeping the frail General Immortus from being sucked in while Beast Boy had transformed into an elephant that was currently sitting on Madame Rouge to keep her from getting away.

"Just one, but I don't like it. If Raven were here then there'd be no problem, but…" Cyborg trailed off as he looked down at the ground, unable to finish the painful sentence. Robin closed his eyes in grief for a brief second in remembrance of their deceased friend.

Raven, in a vain attempt to stop Trigon from rising, had taken her own life a month before her sixteenth birthday. Robin still didn’t know if it was the most selfless thing he’d ever seen, or just cowardice, but it had been a hollow sacrifice just the same. It turned out that Trigon hadn't needed Raven to be alive in order to be set free. Her body had acted as the portal. Due to having shared a mind link with Raven, some of her power had managed to pass onto him, making Robin the only Titan unaffected by the stone spell that Trigon had cast across the planet upon his arrival. Slade, who had been revived in order to retrieve Raven's remains, had found him and together they had defeated the undefeatable Trigon.

"What do we need to do?" Robin asked after a moment, his voice sounding rougher than he would’ve liked. Cyborg grimaced.

"Since the Hole is stable, the only way to make it collapse is to hit its weak points. The best way to stop it is to attack it’s foundation on the other side, but in order do that–"

"Someone would have to allow themselves to be sucked in, destroying the Black Hole and their way of getting back home. It's a suicide mission." Robin finished, as his heart beat wildly. Ideas raced through his head, each more absurd than the last. If they’d had any other option, Cybrog would have thought of it. However, the question of who to send through never even entered his mind. They both shared a grim look, knowing that Robin would never allow one of his teammates to be the one to go into the Black Hole, not when he could it just as easily.

The leader of the Titans held out his hand to his second in command. There was no hesitation in the action of saying goodbye as he mentally prepared himself for what would happen next. Cyborg bit his lip, looking pained as he shook his hand. Robin didn’t know what thoughts were running through the older teen’s head, but he imagined that they were similar to the thoughts he’d had at Raven’s death. Questions of what he could have done differently, thoughts of if only there’d been more time, and finally the hopelessness in asking why this had to happen.

"Take care of the Titans." Robin said almost stoically as he pulled out his grappling gun, ready to use it one last time. Oddly enough, he felt no fear, only determination. He supposed there was a kind of courage in accepting the inevitable too.

"I will.” Cyborg replied softly, looking decades older as he laid a robotic hand on his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “Listen man…” Cyborg paused, his grip tightening as he struggled to find the words he wanted to say. “You're one of the greatest heroes I know, Rob, and I'm proud to have fought with you over the last three years. I could never ask for a better leader or a friend." The robotic teen frowned as he stepped backwards, clearly upset with himself for his short goodbye. Perhaps a year ago Cyborg would have been yelling and screaming, trying to convince him that there had to be a better way, but Cyborg was no longer that naïve. None of the Titans were.

In real life, the good guys didn’t always get a happy ending.

"I feel the same Cyborg.” Robin muttered, dropping his stony expression a second to give his friend a small smile. “Tell Beast Boy and Starfire that I'm sorry and that I wish them the best." If he turned now, Robin was almost sure that he would see his two teammates holding hands, not as friends, but as something more.

After Raven's death he had closed in on himself, becoming even more distant with the others. Starfire had tried to be there, determined to stay by his side as he kept shutting her out and pushing her away. But the months passed and he never let her back in again. He could never get involved in a romantic relationship, not with her or anyone else. Starfire had been hurt by this, she had pushed they issue, even yelled at him, but Robin had stood firm in his beliefs. It was one of the first lessons Batman had taught him, a credo that the Dark Knight lived by. ‘ _My life, my future, my dreams, it all belongs to the people I’m trying to protect._ ’

As it turned out, Beast Boy had cared for Raven a lot more than they had originally thought. Eventually the two found solace in each other, broken hearted as they were, and that relationship had evolved into something no one had expected.

Robin couldn’t deny that he’d been pained to find that Starfire had moved on, but it was for the best. He didn't want to hold her back from having a relationship if he wasn't going to start one with her. That was selfish and he’d already hurt her too much. It had been hard at first to see the two of them together, it still was because there was always that betraying thought in the back of his mind that asked about what could’ve been, but now, as he faced his end, it seemed… right.

"Oh, and take good care of Bumblebee." Robin continued in a more sly tone, before winking at a blushing Cyborg. His smile slipped a little, turning a little sad and regretful. “… and Cy? I’m sorry that I won’t be there tomorrow to play basketball with you.” He could see Cyborg grit his teeth, and the taller teen briefly looked away for a second. It could have been his imagination, but he thought Cyborg’s robotic eye looked dimmer than usual.

“You always gotta win.” Cyborg tried to say lightly, but Robin could still hear the shakiness in his tone. He smirked weakly at the other teen’s words. Their current score was 56-55, with Robin currently in the lead.

“Hey, it’s the only thing that matters.” He retorted, getting a chuckle from his friend. That was definitely better. Cyborg was a naturally cheerful person; Robin didn’t want their last interaction to be filled with tears and anguish. He gave the robotic teen a solid nod, feeling like they’d said what they needed to. Closure was something they’d never gotten with Raven.

Robin turned to look at back the increasing Black Hole and suddenly wondered if this might have been what Raven had felt like before she’d sacrificed herself. Full of determination with no second thoughts or doubt of failing, knowing that her death would save the world and the lives of her friends. He had to admit that it was a little overwhelming, and for a surprising moment, his thoughts turned to Batman. There were so many regrets there and he wondered–

Shaking his head, Robin aimed his grappling line up at the highest ledge he could find and launched himself headfirst into the abyss. He almost cried out in pain as he nearly pulled his arm out of his socket and gripped his grappling gun harder. Not wasting anytime, he turned to face the Hole and pulled out his explosive Birdarangs. Robin studied his target intently; he could not afford to miss, and looked back at his world one last time. He could see Cyborg holding back the rest of the Titans, all of them shouting things he couldn’t hear but could guess at.

"Goodbye." Letting go of the line, he threw the four explosives with everything he had. He smiled triumphantly as he saw them make contact with the structure of the Black Hole, beeping three times in the oddly silent void, and covered his face with his arms as they exploded.

As he spun backwards from the force of the blast, Robin lost consciousness.

* * *

**GOTHAM CITY: March 24, 21:19 EDT**

Robin groaned as he slowly came to, waiting a few moments for his bleary vision to clear before pushing himself off of the ground. Gingerly, he rubbed his shoulder and administered a small amount of pressure to test for any muscle tearing. He gave a relived sigh when he found that, even though his shoulder was going to be sore for a while, it wasn't too badly hurt.

Once he had confirmed that his only problem was going to be sore muscles and stiff joints, Robin looked around the area to observe his surroundings. He nearly gasped in surprise as he quickly recognized his location, the dark dilapidated buildings and smoky filled sky was easy to place. Sirens rang in the distance and the smell of grime, thick with something foul, left a familiar musky scent in his nose that made his throat want to close up on instinct.

He was in Gotham City.

Robin let out a relieved sigh and had he been anyone else, he probably would have had a hysterical laughing fit from the strong feeling of relief. Somehow, against all odds, he had survived. The weight that lifted from his shoulders was so elevating, he felt the same as when he’d first time performed for Haley’s Circus, or his first night as Robin. The regrets that had come to the forefront of his mind now looked opportunities, second chances.

He nearly laughed as he took out his second grappling gun; Batman had always told him to carry a spare, and aimed at the roof of the apartment building he was next to. He shot up to the roof in a manner of seconds, the polluted air rushing past his face felt unbelievably satisfying, and he gracefully pulled off a flip before landing on his feet.

Robin took the chance to admire the city that he'd once protected and saw that it hadn't changed a bit in the three years he'd been gone. He honestly couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. ‘ _I should visit Alfred._ ’ He thought happily as a gust sent his cape billowing. No guilt or doubt accompanied that thought as it had for the past three years. He knew Batman was away with the League, so there was nothing to hold him back from seeing the kind butler that had become like a grandfather to him. ‘ _But I better call the team first._ ’ With that, he pulled out his Titan communicator and called his team.

"Cyborg, this is Robin. I'm okay, the Black Hole sent me to Gotham City." He said with a smirk. There would definitely be a party at the Tower tonight. After waiting five minutes for Cyborg to respond however, Robin began to frown. "Cyborg, can you hear me? Beat Boy? Starfire?" He adjusted the frequency to other designated Titan channels, but all he got was static. ' _Was the communicator damaged during the explosion of the Black Hole?_ '

Nearby, a woman’s scream broke Robin out of his thoughts. Instinct took over as his years of training overrode his thoughts, and the teen put his own dilemma on hold as he moved to help the woman in trouble. He launched off the corner of the building, using his grappling gun to pull him to the next rooftop. After two minutes of jumping and diving from one building to the next, Robin arrived just in time to see the four offenders being taken down by–

‘ _Me?_ ’

Robin quickly ducked into the nearest shadow and stared in amazement as a younger version of himself handcuffed the criminals to a nearby streetlight. As the younger Robin walked in and out of the light, he could see the major differences between his costume and his double’s. The other Robin's hair wasn't spiked up, but at least it wasn't gelled down to his skull in a 1940’s fashion like Batman had made him do. The cape was longer and there wasn't any green on the uniform, instead it was replaced with black. His mask and gloves were styled differently, as was the utility belt and boots.

"Here you go ma’am." His younger self said as he gave the frightened woman her purse. Robin couldn't help but flinch in surprise at how familiar the boy’s voice sounded. It was younger version of his own, before puberty had set in.

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much!" The woman said as she ran out of the alleyway and no doubt all the way to her home.

"So, how'd I do? I did good right?" His younger self asked eagerly as he turned towards the darkest shadows in the alley.

"You did very well Robin. I knew that you could handle them on your own." Batman said to his younger self. Robin stopped breathing as soon as his mentor had stepped out of the shadows. Even though the costume was styled a little differently, he could tell right away that this was the man who had adopted him and trained him. "Do you want to turn in for the night?" Batman asked as he grabbed his grappling gun.

"One more round?" His younger self said in a childlike manner that made Robin want to cringe.

"One more." Batman agreed as the two launched into the air, leaving Robin behind with nothing more than an eerie laugh, courtesy of his doppelganger. He stood still until he was certain they were gone before collapsing onto his knees, his breaths coming out fast as he tried to regain his composure. ' _Okay Boy Wonder, get a grip, you can figure this out. Apparently, there's a younger me running around with Batman…'_

His first thought was that the Black Hole had spat him into the past. ‘ _But that doesn’t explain the different costumes._ ’ He pointed out to himself. A replacement then, perhaps he’d just over identified with that boy, seeing a connection that wasn’t there? ‘ _No, there were too many physical similarities for it to be someone else._ ’ And Robin had watched enough recordings of himself to know what he sounded like. That boy was him, younger yes, but definitely him. ‘ _Did Batman clone me?_ ’ He blatantly scoffed at that thought. It reeked of Beast Boy.

He slowly climbed to his feet and grabbed his communicator again. The Titans weren’t answering, likely couldn’t, and there was a younger version of himself. Being sent into the past was looking like the best probability at the moment. And if he was in the past, that meant he had to stay out of sight. The last thing he wanted to do was tamper with the timeline.

It was time to do some research.

Robin spent the next five days looking through newspaper articles, the internet, and any other source of information he could get his hands on. When he’d found out that the year was the same, he’d resorted to hacking into the Bat Computer. Fortunately, the passcode was the same. With every new bit of information he read, Robin felt completely lost, even as the pieces fell into place to form the bigger picture.

This world was not his world. Somehow the Black Hole had brought him to a completely different, yet seemingly parallel, dimension.

Robin didn't want to believe it, but he knew he was right. Larry, a version himself from a different world, had been enough proof that multiple dimensions did exist. It was still a completely ridiculous situation though. After figuring out where he was, Robin had been left with one question, what was he supposed to do now? This wasn't his world, but he was more than likely stranded here for the rest of his life.

Of course he could always ask this world’s Justice League for help, but he honestly didn't think want to announce who he was to the superhero community anytime soon. Even though they were version of his friends and people he trusted, they weren't really the same. They were strangers who wore faces that he was simply familiar with. They hadn't had the same experiences as their counterparts, they wouldn’t know him, and he had no idea how different they could be.

Robin did know one thing though, he was a hero. As long as people were in trouble, he'd be there to help, but didn’t see how he could be Robin when there already was one. He supposed that he could take the role of Nightwing, like Starfire had informed him, but then he might be taking away that future option from his counterpart. Suddenly struck by a mad idea, he logged onto Batman's computer and looked up any and all information on Red X.

He smiled as the screen flashed no data found.

* * *

**NORTH RHELASIA: May 29, 22:51 RLT**

Red X stared down through the roof skylight, watching and listening to his target very closely. This was his eighth time spying on Singh Manh Li, the leader of North Rhelasia, as well as the last time. He'd been in this new dimension for almost two months now and unfortunately, Red X had yet to make his heroic début.

Deciding that he was going to be Red X again had been simple enough, but he'd had no money to fund his need for supplies. Since asking Batman for a loan was out of the question, and he absolutely despised the idea of stealing, he had gone to look for work.

He'd sent out a coded message offering his services as a spy. Even though idea of it chaffed him a little, it was the perfect job for him. He'd been trained by the best to hide in the shadows and as a spy; he would be kept a secret. Most importantly, he'd be paid a high amount with every mission. He had of course, turned down quite a few jobs as most had been requests from criminals, but he’d lucked out when he’d been contacted by Singh Manh Li. He then gave up his Robin costume and put on his Red X one. The new suit was not like the old one though.

While it looked the same and offered some protection, it was not powered by Xenothium. His first Red X suit had been far more complicated and a stroke of pure genius. It had been carefully wired to contain and distribute Xenothium safely throughout the outfit. He hadn't had the money, equipment, or the right supplies to recreate it. Well, not yet at least. He fully intended to recreate a suit powered by Xenothium, but until then, he'd have to do without.

Red X cranked his receiver higher, clearing his transmitter of static to make out what Singh Manh Li was saying now. The man was going on and on about how much he hated Tseng, the leader of South Rhelasia, and how he couldn't wait to put a bullet in the other man's mouth. ' _So same old, same old._ ' He thought dryly as he watched the man pacing down below.

Honestly, Red X didn't regret his decision in coming to Rhelasia. His first job as Singh Manh Li's spy had been his first step out of the shadows and after a month of espionage, things had taken an interesting turn. He'd received a message from Tseng, the leader of South Rhelasia.

Tseng had asked Red X to spy on his enemy Singh Manh Li and offered double what Singh Manh Li had been paying at the time. The offer of more money had been too tempting to pass up. However, the idea of working for both men, betraying their secrets to each, felt too much like something the second Red X would do. With his conscience already weighed down from past mistakes, he’d been upfront with both leaders and told them about the situation. Surprisingly, both men had reacted positively to his honesty, saying that it was a rare thing for such honor to exist in today’s society. And since neither man had wanted to lose him as a spy, he’d been marked as neutral territory between the two enemies.

So he began to spy for both leaders, becoming something of a double agent and his pay increased to that of a small fortune. Even as a double agent though, he still had rules to follow. He would only report the information he’d gathered from his paid assignments.

It was sometime later when Red X sighed and turned off his transmitter. Singh Manh Li had gone to bed an hour ago, but it paid to be thorough. He cracked his neck back and forth, trying to get rid of the remaining stiffness that had built up from his lack of movement. He jumped off the building and landed in the shadows near his new motorcycle, an X-cycle to replace his lost R-cycle. X briefly wondered if Cyborg now took care of his old bike or if it had been set aside in the corner of the Tower’s garage with a tarp over it to hide the painful memories. He knew for certain that Cyborg had gotten rid of it, the older teen had always understood the fondness he’d held for his motorcycle. Red X quickly pushed those thoughts away and turned his attention to his bike.

The X-Cycle was black and red with silver highlights. A red tinted, X-shaped glass fixture was located on the front, acting as the main headlight for the customized framework. It was loaded with gadgets and had been built with the strongest metal Red X had been able to get his hands on. He sat down on the smooth red leather seat and gripped the handle bars tightly. Entering the code onto the screen of the motorcycle’s dash, X smiled softly to himself as the engine purred gently. Almost silently, he pulled out of the ally and turned out onto the empty road.

He had to get back to his apartment and send Tseng the location for Singh Manh Li's next weapon shipment. This was his last mission for both men. The last two months of espionage work had allowed him to earn enough money to finally start his real work. He’d already ordered the most materials he needed; he just needed to put it all together. It was time he returned to the States.

* * *

**JUMP CITY: June 2, 02:46 PDT**

Red X studied the group below him, taking in the various insignias they wore, showing everyone else who they represented and not to mess with them. The warehouse was on the west side of Jump and too close to where Slade’s Old Haunt had been for his liking. He resisted the urge to look behind him again. It had been more than a little starting when he’d looked toward the bay and had not seen Titan’s Tower in the distance. He knew it was there, back in his world, but seeing it missing had left his insides squirming. It made him think of his friends. The mantra of ‘ _They’re gone._ ’ was quickly countered by ‘ _They’re safe._ ’ The two thoughts played over and over again in the back of his mind, worsening and easing his nerves in a vicious cycle that seemed endless.

With a harsh shake of his head, X forced himself to think about the mission. Now that he had enough money and resources to fund his heroic career, he needed a certain illegal item that wasn't for sale, a Xenothium Core. The only way he'd be able to get his hands on that would be through an auction sanctioned by the Black Market. He had found Intel that an auction would be going down tonight, and in Jump City no less, the irony of it all was too good to pass up.

As Red X's eyes scanned through the crowd, he looked for any major criminal who might have shown up instead of just sending a grunt. He could see the signs of Kobra, Penguin, Bane, and the League of Shadows. Satisfied that mostly everyone who was there were of little threat, Red X saw one person who might prove a challenge, Sportsmaster.

The man wore no insignia on his uniform, showing that he was either there for himself, or for someone who wished to remain anonymous. It was no secret that the man was a mercenary through and through. His attention, and everyone else's, turned to the smartly dressed man that would be the auctioneer. Red X thought he recognized him, but paid the fact little attention. He had broken into numerous Black Market auctions many times in the past. The auction itself went by fast, and all too soon they came to the last item of the night.

"And for out final piece of the evening, we have the very rare, very powerful, Regenerative Xenothium Core created by Lex Corporations." The auctioneer said as a burly man deposited said item onto a pedestal. It was an oval shaped blood red stone, lacking the jagged appearance Red X had been expecting. Everyone in the group shifted anxiously, eager for the bidding to begin. From above, X smiled as he stared at his unexpected prize.

A Xenothium Core was rare, but a regenerative one was by far the rarest. They had only recently been created some months ago. A Regenerative Xenothium Core hadn’t even been thought of yet in his dimension. Red X mentally reviewed what he knew about the item. It was a mutated Core that contained the plant gene that initiated photosynthesis. Basically, he only had to expose the Core to the sun for a few hours in order to recharge it. X suspected Luthor came up with the idea after seeing Superman regenerate from solar rays.

Red X paused as he looked at the Xenothium again, giving it a searching look. How had the Black Market managed to get their hands on such a rare find? Surely Lex Luthor hadn’t given it to them. So that only left theft. He found himself reluctantly impressed; it took a lot of skill to steal something so valuable from right under Luthor’s nose. And if he could get that Core, he'd never have to replace his suit’s power source ever again. The idea of no more stealing made him even more determined to acquire his prize.

"Now gentlemen, let's say we start the bidding at one million, shall we?"

X took that as his cue to move in. He crashed down through the skylight and threw a handful of smoke pellets that released a thick red gas, knocking out anyone who breathed it in for the next ten minutes. He dashed forward to grab the Xenothium Core and used his grappling gun to pull himself back up onto the roof. The entire event took less than a minute. Having what he came for, Red X dashed across the roof tops, making his way back towards his hidden X-Cycle.

Suddenly, he heard the whirl of a weapon being thrown the air and X jumped into a dive roll, avoiding the discus that would have hit him. He turned around and got into his ready stance as he placed the Core into one of the empty pouches of his belt. He silently pulled out his collapsible Bo Steel Staff and sized up his enemy.

"Huh, never seen you before. Who're you supposed to be?" Sportsmaster asked as he brought out a steel shafted javelin.

"Red X." He replied simply, the modifier in his mask deepened his voice, mixing it with an eerie metallic tone before he lunged at Sportsmaster. His Bo Staff hit hard against Sportsmaster’s javelin, the clang of metal hitting metal rang out over the roofs and jarred X’s arms slightly. He readjusted his grip quickly and jabbed at the man’s left side. Sportsmaster jumped, avoiding the attack, and kicked out at Red X, who blocked with his staff. The two broke apart, weapons still raised as the circled one another, studying their opponent and waiting for an opening.

Red X could remember the few times he’d come across Sportsmaster, both as Batman’s sidekick and as the leader of the Titans. In truth, the man had been a bit of a joke in his world, often focusing his crimes related to sports, such as stealing a trophy or even a famous athlete. Sportsmaster had fit more in the ranks of Control Freak or Captain Boomerang. He could be a threat when underestimated, but he was nowhere near the danger level of villains such as the Joker or Gorilla Grodd.

But in this dimension, Sportsmaster wasn’t even the same man as his counterpart. For one thing, his dimension’s Sportsmaster had been of African American descent. Victor Grover had been a simple, albeit very athletic, football player of Gotham City’s Wildcats. He’d been the rising, arrogant star of the team, earning him the ire of one of his teammates who’d staged a way to get Grover fired. Wrongfully accused of using steroids and with his reputation destroyed, Grover had taken the identity Sportsmaster to take revenge on his traitorous team.

Clearly the man who stood before Red X now was not this dimensions’ Victor Grover. The unknown man was Caucasian for one thing, who had blonde hair and brown eyes. Gone was the absurd sports themed costume, replaced with a grey hockey mask and paramilitary-like armor. Metal plates encased his left arm, looking similar to a gauntlet, and he sported his own utility belt. Just from looks alone, Red X could tell this man was much more dangerous than his counterpart had been. And while Grover had never had any super powers, he’d had an impressive Eidetic Memory, allowing him to be a fairly proficient in close combat. Red X wondered if this Sportsmaster had the same unique ability.

Sportsmaster lunged forward, and Red X instinctively crouched down, with the javelins’ pointed tip just barely brushing over his shoulder. He brought his own weapon upwards, plowing into the man’s stomach with the butt of his staff and knocking him backwards a few feet. The two squared off again, circling each other once more.

The fight continued along that pattern for the next few minutes. The two would attack, blocking and dodging, and then withdraw to measure the other’s fighting style for weaknesses. He had to admit that Sportsmaster was skilled, very much so, and it had been a while since he’d fought a decent opponent. ‘ _He’s good, but not as good as me._ ’

Red X continued to weave through Sportsmaster's attacks for several moments before an opening finally presented itself. Sportsmaster overreached with one of his thrusts, leaving his right side completely open. X didn’t waste the chance as he slammed his staff into the man's leg as hard as he could. Sportsmaster let out a grunt of pain as they both heard the bone in his right leg snap. Re X withdrew his staff as the man dropped his guard to grip at his injury. Judging from the way Sportsmaster held himself; he guessed that it was his Fibula bone which had broken. The mercenary would be out of commission for some time.

"What? You think I'm no longer a threat just because you broke my leg? I can still fight kid!" Sportsmaster growled as he struck out at Red X, who flipped over the poorly aimed swing and landed a few feet away from his opponent. He could easily take the man down now and leave him at Jump’s police station, but that would likely attract attention from the superheroes. If Sportsmaster told them about the Xenothium, X new he could kiss his career as a hero goodbye before it even started. So that meant letting Sportsmaster walk and hope that the man was too prideful to tell anyone about what had happened.

"I know you can still fight.” X remarked before turning away from the enraged mercenary. “But now you won't be able to chase me down now." He called back over his shoulder as he jumped over onto the next roof. He smiled as he heard Sportsmaster curse out his name in a loud yell that promised a rematch.

It was starting to feel like old times again.

* * *

**GOTHAM CITY: June 6, 23:21 EDT**

Red X smiled as he put on his upgraded suit. Though there were no changes in appearance to the tattered caped hero, there was a hidden system of circuitry that ran under the black Kevlar material that he now wore. Carefully, he placed the Xenothium Core inside the silver multi-compartment belt. He locked the chamber and wrapped the power belt around his hips. He could already feel the difference; of the power pumping through his suit.

The X suit was genius and originally handcrafted by Lucius Fox back in his world. Fortunately, he could perfectly recall the suits design after studying the blue prints for days once Red X had stolen it. His belt held the Core, but the Xenothium traveled throughout the suit; much like blood in the circulatory system. This allowed him to turn invisible, perform short distance teleportation, and enable him to shoot X-shaped weaponry from his palms.

Of course, he had decided to add some new gadgets this time around. First off, his mask not only held a voice changer, but a filter that could block out most types of knockout gases and was stock with a small oxygen pouch, allowing him to be underwater for five minutes. The lenses of his mask had been equipped with night vision, magnifying vision, and a direct comlink system.

Along with his new enhancements, he also had his old abilities such as invisibility, teleportation, X-Shuriken, X-Wrist Blades, Explosive X, Electric X, X-Portal, X Adhesive Restraint, and X Constrictive Restraint, and of course he always had his collapsible Bo Staff.

Feeling truly excited for the first time since arriving in this dimension, the young hero teleported out of the abandoned apartment he’d been staying in for the past few days, and landed on the rooftop. He took a second to marvel at the view of the city lights. His temporary hideout was on Gotham’s East End, an old abandoned part of the metropolis that had fallen into ruin with the cities decline. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly dove off the edge falling from the tall building in a plummet towards the street. Before hitting the ground, his grapping gun shot out, pulling him to the nearest building with a rush of wind filling his ears.

It was time for Red X to make his debut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there's chapter one and my plans right now are to stick with the cannon of Young Justice. I had Robin chose to be Red X because I really liked the identity that he made. Plus, he looks totally badass and has awesome gadgets that would further set him apart from Young Justice's Robin. 
> 
> I threw in the part about Rhelasia so that Red X can come back later in the story during the episode Target. I made up the Regenerative Xenothium Core because Red X really can't keep stealing new power sources for his suit. He's a hero now, not a thief. I also felt it best to give him some new gadgets, though truthfully, they aren’t all that original.
> 
> –Hexalys


	2. Red X Reborn Part ll

**GOTHAM CITY: June 6, 23:34 EDT**

Red X stared down at the dark streets of Gotham and listened to various police channels through his comlink, as well as the private communication channels that Batman and the Justice League used. If he was going to complete his first heroic act as Red X, then he wanted to do it in Gotham, the city he'd first started out in as Robin.

It didn't take long before a few officers down by Crime Alley reported at being under heavy fire by a street gang. As Crime Alley was twenty miles south of his position, Red X decided to forgo traveling by teleportation, the farthest he could travel in one leap was fifty feet, and raced off to Crime Alley on his X-Cycle.

In ten minutes he arrived at the alley and just in time too. The two cops who had been under fire were crouched behind the remains of their car as the gang of seven men advanced forwards with semi-automatic guns. Bullets shot through the air, as did the insults and hollers of the attackers and X felt himself relax for a moment, his body was strangely put at ease by the situation. ‘ _Just grunts with guns._ ’ It was so familiar; he could do this with his eyes close.

Not wasting any time Red X launched himself off of his bike towards the assailants and lashed out with a handful of X-Shuriken. With pinpoint accuracy, they sliced through the barrel of every gun, making them useless. Surprised, the thugs turned to look at him as his now auto-piloted bike parked itself in front of the cops, giving them more cover.

"Who the hell is this guy?" One of the thugs shouted as he pulled out a switchblade.

"Who cares? He ain't the Bat and that's good enough for me." Another answered as he swung a metal chain in his right hand. The others seemed to find some sort of comfort in his words and quickly pulled out whatever weapons they had on them.

Red X stared at the men impassively. While he had hoped that his first hero gig would be something bigger, he was always glad to help out Gotham's finest. It wasn't a total lost either. He could easily see that these men worked for the Mad Hatter, as they were wearing masks from the various characters from Alice in Wonderland. If he scared them enough, they would likely tell other criminals about the new hero in town and his renown would quickly grow. Seeing the men tense, X lowered himself into a fighting stance, waiting for them to make the first move.

The two men closet to him gave each other a silent nod and then simultaneously charged towards him. Red X dodged the first punch that was thrown at him and redirected the attack from the second man towards the first, sending both of them to tumble into the ground in an undignified heap. He turned his back on them, and without looking, shot out an Adhesive X that acted like glue, causing both criminals to be stuck to each other as well as the ground.

A low whistle came from up above, and Red X didn't have to look up to know that the Dynamic Duo were watching him. He felt himself tense as a familiar glare landed on him and it instantly set his teeth in edge. Batman was watching him now, no doubt with suspicion, judging him, his moves, and his motives. This wasn’t just about impressing a bunch of thugs now. Red X stood straight, raising his right palm out in front of him as he gave the universal sign for “bring it on”.

Wary after seeing two of their numbers taken down so easily, the group seemed to decide that there was safety in numbers as they all charged at him. With skills that he'd perfected over the last eight years, Red X weaved in and out of the poorly thrown punches and kicks. Using his acrobatic skills, he flipped over most of the group and went for the most dangerous opponent, the one holding the knife. X dodged as the man lunged at him with the steel blade and caught the goon’s wrist before he could pull back. With a controlled strike, he aimed a side kick at the guys’ chest, sending him flying across the alleyway and into the neighboring building. The man slumped to the ground, rendered unconscious due to his head hitting the brick wall.

Without missing a beat, Red X caught the metal chain that had been aimed at his head and pulled, causing the attacker to stumble. He did a back-handspring over the man, using his back as a springboard, and launched a spin kick towards the head of another thug. He turned back towards the previously downed man and sent a pair of Constrictive X's at the criminal, binding his arms and legs.

Finally, X turned towards the last two men and saw that they were trying to make a break for it. He teleported to appear in front of them and smiled slightly as they both let out startled cries that seemed to pierce the very darkness of the alley. He attacked the man closet by elbowing him in the gut and then striking at the base of his neck, knocking him out. He looked to the other man and almost sighed as the thug tried to run away again. Red X was about to aim a Constrictive X at him, but stopped when a small figure dropped down on top of the man, effectively knocking him unconscious.

Red X could only stare at Robin as the younger boy grinned up at him.

"I know that you probably had him, but I couldn't let you have all the fun. You took those guys out in 83.2 seconds! My name’s Robin by the way, what's yours?" His younger counterpart said excitedly as he started to collect the thugs strewed across the alley. Red X was unnerved to find that his mouth suddenly felt like sandpaper and that a sweat had broken out on the back of his neck.

While he’d realized that he would eventually meet his other self, he hadn't planned on meeting the Dynamic Duo on his first night out. That was the whole point of going after these small time thugs. He’d imagined them being on the other side of town, stopping the Riddler’s latest scheme. ‘ _Why are they here? It’s too soon. I’m not ready to face him yet._ ’ He forcefully pushed his uneasiness aside, trying to convince himself that it didn't matter who he was meeting. He was now Red X, nothing more.

"X, Red X. The pleasure’s all mine." He said as he reached out to shake Robin's hand, which the boy gladly accepted. Robin’s grip wasn’t harsh nor was it weak, and X had to stop himself from tightening his own grasp in a show of strength. If Robin could be amiable, then so could he. From the corner of his eye, Red X saw Batman talking to the two cops, no doubt asking for any details they could give about the situation.

"Your moves were totally awesome, heavy on the awe! Do you have any powers or do you use gadgets like me and Batman?" Robin asked as he poked at the Adhesive X that held the Mad Hatter goons together. “I’m guessing the latter since this stuff seems to be man-made.” He saw the boy discreetly cut off a piece with some sort of small laser and place it in his utility belt. X felt his pulse speed up a little. They would know he used Xenothium, which was by all means a barely legal substance that only the rich and powerful could get their hands on. What kind of conclusions would Batman draw once the test results came back?

Red X didn't confirm that Robin was right. Instead, his attention was solely focused on Batman as he saw the caped crusader heading towards them. Robin pulled away from his inspection and stood beside the Dark Knight, putting up a solid front to make Red X feel threatened. It was an old tactic that he’d been a part of many times in the past, both with Batman and with the Teen Titans. ‘ _Oh joy, interrogation._ ’ X thought bitterly, his face subconsciously turning impassive.

He turned fully to face the man, forcing himself to make eye contact for the first time in two and a half years. He held back the flinch that wanted to break out as he caught the Bat glare being aimed at him. ‘ _He’s not Batman, not my Batman anyways. They’re not the same._ ’ That thought did little to quell his nerves, so X retreated to his usual strategy when it came to dealing with the brooding man. Deflect and redirect, be on the defensive, and if the first two didn’t work, get angry.

He tried not to remember the regret he’d felt a month ago before going through the Black Hole. There were no second chances here, no apologies that needed to be said. This wasn’t the man who’d raised him. He’d never be able to reconcile with his past mistakes now.

"Who are you?" Batman asked, or rather, demanded, as he continued scowled at Red X and spoke in a cold tone that said volumes about his lack of trust in the new hero. X forced himself to feel irritated, surprised to find it not as difficult as he thought as he continued to stare up at the double of his mentor. Anger, bitterness, guilt, those feelings had never gone away after all these years. He’d just managed to bury them better.

"And here I thought bats were supposed to have excellent hearing." He said in an impassive manner as he shrugged his shoulders at the two. He caught their surprised looks before Batman's face took on the form of annoyance, while Robin's became a mixture between humor and awe. It was almost as if he couldn’t imagine anyone talking back to the Dark Knight. That made X frown; he could remember the fights with Batman starting at around Robin’s age. A little more than a month after his fourteenth birthday, he’d left Gotham and had gone to Jump City.

"My name is Red X." He continued simply before he moved towards the police officers. He heard footsteps from behind him and narrowed his eyes in annoyance at his almost mentor. He knew that his Batman had hated it when a hero had fought crime in his town. It seemed like this Bat felt the same way. "Are you both okay?" He asked as the police came forwards to meet him halfway, both men looked shaken and relieved at the same time.

"Yeah, you really saved our asses back there. Another few seconds and we would have been Swiss cheese." The one cop said while the other nodded in agreement.

"Why did the Hatter's men attack you?" Red X asked. He could practically feel Batman narrow his eyes in suspicion.

"Probably because we were taking their boss to Arkham Asylum. Batman just apprehended the Mad Hatter about an hour ago, but a few of his men, who were still on the loose, attacked us and he got away. We tried to follow after him, but then his men started to fire at us." The same officer said and Red X nodded.

"Try to call Gordon and tell him what happened. It would be best for you to wait here to keep an eye on these guys and to have a second unit come here as backup. I'll take care of the Hatter." He said firmly, leaving the officers no room to argue. Fortunately, the two men didn’t seem to mind being ordered around and simply nodded. The one officer returned to the car in order to call dispatch, while the other moved to stand guard over the thugs.

"You don't really think that you stand a chance at taking on the Mad Hatter?" Batman questioned critically as he continued to glare at the younger hero. “He’s dangerous and has a fixation for mind control. Stay out of this.” Red X, hard as it was, ignored the man’s harsh doubtful tone, and walked over to the grouped grunts.

"You don't mind if I borrow this guy for a few minutes, do you?" He asked the officer as he grabbed one of the men that had woken up. "I just want to talk to him about a few things." X continued as he dug his hand into the criminals' shoulder, pressing down on a pressure point and causing him to flinch in pain. The thug looked up into the cop’s face with a pleading expression. The policeman only smirked in response before it was replaced with a look of confusion.

"Huh, that's odd? I thought there had been seven perpetrators, not six? Oh well, I must have miscounted." Red X gave the cop a hidden a smile. Like he’d said earlier, he was always liked helping out Gotham’s finest.

"An honest mistake officer, things can be so confusing when one’s being shot at." X replied blandly as he started to drag the still bound criminal away and into the shadows of Crime Alley. The other bound men watched them go with wide eyes, perhaps wondering if they would ever see their crewmate again.

"No! Please! Someone help!" The thug shouted just before Red X teleported them to the rooftop of a building that was less than a block away. He had to make this fast. He didn't know how this Batman interrogated criminals, so he didn't want the man to see his interrogation skills, just in case they were too… excessive.

Once they landed, he shoved the criminal to the ground, letting him try to crawl away for a few feet before he walked over and stomped his foot hard into the man’s back. The grunt let out an almost silent gasp as he tried to reclaim the air that had been knocked out of him. Red X didn't give him the time to recover. He kicked the man in his side, making him roll over onto his back, and brought his right hand over the mans' eyes, making sure the criminal could see the glowing X in his palm.

"I'm going to give you three chances to tell me where the Mad Hatter is. If you don't, I’ll pump so many volts of electricity into you and make your nerves will shut down, leaving you trapped inside a useless husk. Got it?" X threatened with his cold and metallic voice.

The thug’s first answer was a gob spit landing right below Red X’s left eye. Using his Electric X, he sent jolts of red electricity racing through the man’s body, causing him to scream out in pain. X stopped after twenty seconds and observed as the grunt continued to spasm for several moments.

"Strike one. If you don't tell me this time, I won't turn off the electricity until you either bite off your tongue or pass out. Did you know that it's possible for a person to drown on their own blood if they bite off their tongue? Not to mention the extreme amount of blood loss." He stated as he crouched down even closer to the man, who gazed up at him in obvious fear. "I'll ask again, where is the Mad Hatter?" Red X had already begun to charge up for another Electric X. As he slowly approached the thug, X could see him sweating furiously in the faint red light coming from his palm. The criminal finally broke just as the hand was about to reach his chest.

"Okay, Okay! I'll talk! Boss planned it all along. Batman stopping him was supposed to happen. The Hatter lured the Bat out earlier and pretended that he’d been beaten so that when he escaped, the Bat wouldn't suspect a trap!" The thug babbled quickly, his voice rising with panic as Red X’s hand continued to hover over him.

"Where?" X growled as he brought the glowing hand up to the man’s face. So that was why Batman wasn't hadn’t come after him. He and Robin were on their way to a trap or had already been caught.

"The abandoned clock factory on 23rd Street, that's all I know! I swear!" The grunt yelled and Red X quickly grabbed hold of him to teleport back to the others. He let his eyes sweep over Crime Alley, hoping to find Batman brooding in the shadows with Robin standing beside him. They weren’t of course.

"Oh hey, you're back! Batman and Robin took off a shortly after you left. Said something about their tracker still working." The officer guarding the crooks explained as Red X handed over the still shaking criminal.

"Change of plans. This whole thing has been a setup by the Mad Hatter. Batman and Robin are in danger. Call Gordon and tell him that the Hatter is hiding out at the abandoned clock factory on twenty-third!" X shouted as he ran over to his motorcycle and started the engine. He saw both cops nod before driving off towards the factory.

* * *

**GOTHAM CITY June 7, 00:19 EDT**

Red X parked his X-Cycle in an alley that was a block away from the clock factory and teleported himself to the roof of the Mad Hatter's current hideout. Not wasting any more time, he activated his cloaking device and silently snuck into the building. After a few minutes of searching, he found Batman and Robin. They were tied down to metal tables, their utility belts removed and in the Hatter's hands, who was standing not even a few feet away from the Dynamic Duo.

"You know Batman, you and your little bird should have really known better than to go down the rabbit hole unprepared.” Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter, broke off to chuckle to himself. ”But then, if one never takes any risks, one would never gain anything." The Hatter continued as he tossed the utility belts onto a nearby broken conveyer belt. He toddled over to a lab set that was by Batman, his voice coming out high pitched and with a thick British accent. "Tic Toc Batman, we really must hurry things along. You and young Robin have a very important date to make." He said as he picked up two mangled looking white rabbit masks.

Tetch looked identical to his counterpart in X’s world. He was a short man with a slim build, large front teeth and a hooked nose. Blonde hair reached his shoulders and was mostly hidden by the large ten gallon top hat on his head. There was only the smallest of changes made to the costume. The Mad Hatter wore blue suit pants with a neon green dress shirt, an overly black bowtie, and a dark blue trench coat. But where the black hat had once had a blue strip of fabric, it was now neon green. His trench coat was left open instead, letting it billow around him, showing that a plaid black and blue vest had been added to the ensemble.

"What are you planning Jervis?" Batman growled as he tugged uselessly at his restraints. Red X easily picked up on the Dark Knight’s plan. He would distract the Hatter for as long as possible while Robin focused on escaping from his own restraints. Sure enough, X could see Robin trying to pick the lock of the metal cuff that was holding down his right hand. ' _Well, there's nothing wrong with lending a hand to those in need._ ' Red X thought to himself as he planned a diversion that would give both Batman and Robin the chance they needed to escape.

"Oh nothing Batman, just a little tea party that both you and Robin are invited to." The Hatter answered madly as he skipped around the room, waving the masks that would no doubt act as some sort of mind control. His counterpart had never used masks to control his victims, rather he’d used mind control chips disguised as 10/6 labels that he’d stuck into the rims of their hats.

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think.” Red X quoted from Alice in Wonderland from high up in the rafters, his metallic voice echoing throughout the building eerily, causing the Mad Hatter and his men to jump in surprise. “Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!"

"Who's there?" The Hatter called out as he looked frantically around the room, as did his men. X took the opportunity to grab the utility belts while everyone was distracted before retreating back to the rafters.

"I believe the correct question that you should ask is, who are you?” He responded as he teleported throughout his sentence, switching his positions throughout the building to make sure that his location couldn’t be pinpointed as his voice rebounded from all directions.

“What do you think you are doing here uninvited, explain yourself?” The Mad Hatter shouted furiously.

"I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir, because I'm not myself you see." Red X quoted yet again. Finding the words he’d chosen to be oddly appropriate for his position. He really wasn’t himself was he? No longer could he be Richard Grayson or Robin the Boy Wonder.

He forcefully pushed those thoughts out of his mind and turned to look at Batman, finding that the caped crusader had already freed himself and was moving to help Robin. The Mad Hatter, who was too busy looking up at the rafters to notice his escaping enemies, seemed to calm down somewhat and even smiled a little.

"Oh dear me, dear me. There’s just not enough room you see? It’s terribly rude to come to a party uninvited, my friend." Tetch countered snappishly as he looked towards the area he believed Red X was, silently motioning for his men to aim their guns in that direction. In reality, X had already teleported to the opposite of the room.

"What a shame. And here I thought there was always more room at the Hatter’s tea parties." He replied before he landed silently a few feet away from Batman and Robin while still invisible. He trotted up to them as they hid behind one of the numerous machines in the building and deactivated his cloaking device. "Here you two might want these back." He whispered as he tossed them their belts. Robin accepted his with a smile and mouthed back a ‘thank you’ while Batman completely ignored him. Red X brought a finger up to his mouth and winked at Robin who did likewise.

"Well, if there’s no room I’ll leave, but can you say something for me before I go? Twinkle, twinkle, little bat! How I wonder what you're at." He said out loud and grinned as the man let out a yell when he found his two captives missing.

"I want them found, do you understand me? Now!" The Hatter hollered at his men. There were twelve of them in all, which meant there was six for him and six for Robin.

"Robin and I can handle the grunts, you take the Hatter." He said towards the two and saw them both frown, but still nod in agreement. As soon as Batman left them Robin turned to him, frown still marring his face.

"Why'd you do that? I wanted to take the Hatter." The boy moaned as he moved into position to attack.

"Because the Mad Hatter isn't a fighter. Any of us could have taken him down. This way, we at least get to do more of the work and Bats has to sit out on the sidelines." He answered and saw Robin smirk in response.

"So that's why he looked mad. I thought it was because you told him what to do." The younger hero said as he launched his grappling gun and short up into the rafters.

"Well there's that too." X admitted to himself with a little bit of mirth. He shook his head as Robin let out an eerie laugh, effectively freaking out the henchmen below.

* * *

**GOTHAM CITY June 7, 00:37 EDT**

Red X stood on the rooftop of the abandoned factory with Batman and Robin, watching as Gordon and his men drove off with a screaming Mad Hatter and the rest of his crew.

"That guy is not happy, not happy at all." Robin muttered as his screams for revenge died down. "Anyways, thanks for the save back there." The Boy Wonder continued as he patted X on the back. Red X turned to look down and his alternate younger self, surprised to realize that the kid was nothing like he had been at thirteen. By that age he'd already morphed into a miniature Batman. He hadn’t been able to hang onto the carefree and innocent personality that this Robin had, and that was something he was deeply glad for.

He reluctantly turned his attention to Batman and mentally prepared himself for whatever scolding he was about to receive or witness. His Batman had always been critical and harsh, pointing out his mistakes and failures. Sometime he hadn't even waited until they were out of the hearing range of others. Gordon had often sent him sympathetic looks whenever the Commissioner had unfortunately witnessed those moments.

"Thank you." Batman muttered with a growl. Red X was sure that even his mask couldn't cover his stunned expression. ‘ _Batman, saying thanks? Okay, is this dimension called the Twilight Zone?_ ’ His Batman never said thank you to him, and he wasn't even Robin right now! He was just some stranger that they'd met less than an hour ago. "You saved Robin's life and for that, I'm grateful." X deflated a little. So Batman was only thanking him for saving his sidekick? Well that sounded more like his mentor, but still this man was obviously less… Batman-y.

"No problem." Red X replied simply. He was about to leave when a heavy hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Just because you helped us, doesn't mean that I trust you. While you're in Gotham, I will be keeping an eye on you." Batman growled as he glared at the young hero. Ah, now there was the Dark Knight he knew so well.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less Batman." Red X said a bit more bitterly than he wanted. Unable to stand being in the man’s presence for a second longer, he jumped off the ledge and teleported to his X-Cycle. The night was still young and there was always crime being committed in Gotham. X just hoped that he wouldn’t run into the two again for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, chapter two done and featuring the appearance of the Dynamic Duo! Honestly, I couldn’t see putting their debut at a later point. Hope I got Batman’s gruffness down right. I was told that my fighting scenes could use a little work and hopefully I improved on that in this chapter when X fought the first group of grunts. Either way, I had a lot of fun writing this, so it's all good. I got the idea of the Hatter’s twisted white rabbit masks from Batman: Arkham City.
> 
> As you can see, there’s already some tension between YJ/Batman and Red X, mainly due to the relationship Red X has with TT/Batman. Of course I will delve more into this complex relationship in later chapters, but for now, I’ll just let you wonder. 
> 
> –Hexalys


	3. Meeting The Archers

**STAR CITY: June 14, 02:17 PDT**

Speedy gazed down at the person surrounded by eighteen thugs and looked back up at his mentor, Green Arrow, with a questioning look. The older hero shook his head and signaled for him to just watch. Speedy nodded back uncertainly. He looked back down through the roof’s skylight and tightened his hand around his bow. He didn't really understand why they were just watching. They had arrived to bust up this gangs' heist, but then Green Arrow had stopped him from going in. He guessed that Ollie just wanted to check out the new guy’s moves before they busted in.

There was also the fact that Speedy wasn't sure which side this guy was on.

If the guy was a hero, then he certainly didn't look the part. He was dressed mostly in black with a long cape that was tattered and torn at the end. He had grey gloves that matched his gunmetal belt in color and there was a red X located on his mask, chest, and hands, each varying in size. His mask, which completely hid his face, had a white skull on it that hardly seemed suitable for something the good guys were supposed to wear. He had to be young though; Speedy could tell the newcomer wasn’t as tall as himself, but rather closer to Aqualad's height. His build was fairly muscular, but not overly so meaning he was likely a speed oriented fighter.

Speedy tensed as he saw one of the thugs lunge for the skull guy. The newcomer jumped over the clumsy charge and shot a red X shaped weapon at a different criminal at the back of the group. Roy watched the fight with something akin to awe as he saw the skull guy, who was likely no older than himself, take down the group with an impressive display of strength and agility that must have taken years to obtain. After five minutes, all eighteen grunts had been rendered immobile, either unconscious or tied up, and not one had landed a hit on their attacker. The newcomer brushed off some nonexistent dirt from his shoulder and suddenly disappeared.

Beside him, Ollie stiffened.

"You know, it's not nice to spy on people.” On instinct, Speedy pulled out his bow before the unknown person could finish speaking. ‘ _How did someone sneak up on us?_ ’ “It's especially rude to not lend a helping hand to someone who's clearly outnumbered." The voice, male he noted in an afterthought, continued in a metallic tone from a few feet away from them, his voice even, not showing a sign of hesitation or doubt as the Speedy aimed an arrow in his direction. Tense and ready for Ollie signal, he was put off as Green Arrow held up his hand to hold his position. Frustrated at not knowing what was happening, Speedy grunted as he lowered his bow a little, but made a show of not relaxing his stance. He narrowed his eyes as the unknown being stepped out from the shadow to their left, revealing himself to be the skull guy.

"Outnumbered yes, but not outmatched." Speedy heard Ollie say as he stepped away from their position as if to greet the guy with a handshake. Silently cursing Ollie for letting his guard down, he straightened his shoulders and put away his bow, radiating confidence from his posture that was only half faked. There was no doubt in his mind that he and Green Arrow could take this guy down if was stupid enough to take them both on.

"I had no idea that you could be so complementary Green Arrow. Your manners are much better than the Batman's.” There was tone to the skull guy’s words that was not quite sarcastic, but his speech was too politely to be genuine. “And since you have been courteous, I'll return the favor. The name’s Red X." The skull guy said as he held out his hand towards Speedy, turning all of his attention to him in a way that made him seem like he was snubbing Ollie. "Speedy, right? I've heard you're good." The guy’s tone was odd again, sounding pensive with a touch of humor lingering at the end of his sentence. He gripped Red X's hand and they both gave each other a measuring squeeze before letting go.

Speedy decided that even though Red X had questionable tastes in clothing, he seemed to be a decent enough guy. The fact that Ollie was sporting a pinched, irritated look helped a little.

"So who's your mentor? Is it Black Canary? I heard she's been looking for a partner for a while now." Speedy asked as he searched on the nearby rooftops for any sign of Oliver's love interest.

"I'm here on my own." Red X replied in a serious tone.

"Oh, so you went solo tonight? That's cool." He commented while shooting a glance at Ollie. They had talked about him taking another solo mission every now and then, but he hadn't got the chance yet. The fact that his first solo mission spying on Lex Luthor had resulted in him being missing for three months didn’t help his case much. He understood Ollie’s hesitation, but that was almost three years ago, he’d changed so much since then.

"No, you misunderstand. I no longer have a mentor, he's gone." Red X corrected lowly and Speedy gave him a startled look, missing the sudden sharpness in Green Arrow's gaze as he was too concerned with the other hero’s reply.

"Do you mean he's… dead?" He asked as delicately as he could and Red X nodded stiffly.

"He was a good teacher." The newcomer replied as he turned his head to look away from both archers.

"I'm sorry." Speedy offered somberly. He subtly looked over at Green Arrow and wondered, not for the first time, about what he would do if he ever lost his guardian. Ollie may be a goofy pain in the neck most of the time, but he was still the most important person in his life. Speedy looked back at Red X and felt his respect for the young hero grow. It must have taken a lot of strength for him to put on the mask and move forward after his mentor’s death. The quiet mood was ruined as Ollie's communicator suddenly went off. He gave it a quick glance, before frowning at the screen. "What's wrong?"

"It's Count Vertigo. He's attacking the National Bank." Green Arrow answered as he turned towards Red X. "Would you like to come with? It wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes." Speedy couldn’t help but stare at his mentor with a mix between shock and curiosity. Taking down a bunch of street goons was one thing, but Count Vertigo was in a completely different league. Plus, Ollie got extremely territorial when it came to the Count, so why was he inviting somebody that they’d just met to help out?

"I will of course lend a hand when asked, but really, you should be more subtle Green Arrow." Red X said, sounding oddly reproachful with the older man. Ollie looked back at Red X surprise for a second, but then he nodded in consent and smirked. Speedy felt even more left out of the loop than earlier.

"Can we just go please?" He growled towards them both, who blinked at him in surprise as if they’d forgotten he was even there. Ollie recovered quickly and nodded before he moved to a neighboring rooftop, heading towards the National Bank. Speedy stared at Red X for a second before they both turned to follow Green Arrow at the same fast pace. Still feeling put off by the newcomer, Speedy did his best to leave Red X behind as he pushed himself to catch up with Ollie. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Red X was able to keep up with his stride easily.

"I already told you that I met Batman.” Red X stated suddenly, his tone so low that Speedy had to concentrate to pick up the words over the sounds of the city. “Naturally he was, and still is, very suspicious of me. He's in regular contact with Green Arrow and the other Justice League members. It only makes sense that Batman would tell the other heroes to be on the lookout for me. I wasn't sure if Batman asked the others to play recon until Green Arrow invited me along. A hero should never bring along an unknown variable to take on a criminal of Vertigo's standards. He's doing this in hopes that he can find out more information on me." As if to prove his point, Speedy saw Ollie glance back at them suspiciously, before slowing down his speed a little to eavesdrop better.

"Hey, Green Arrow may be many things, but subtle is not one of them." He said as smirked towards Red X, ego smoothed slightly with the new information. Even though he couldn't see it, Speedy was sure that the teen was smirking back at him.

* * *

**STAR CITY: June 14, 02:30 PDT**

Red X stood next to Speedy, just a little behind Green Arrow as the older archer scanned the inside of the bank. He took another glance at redhead, amazed at the differences this Speedy showed to the one he used to know. This Roy Harper was serious, tough, and hadn't checked his appearance at all so far. While the other Speedy was serious and tough too, he was by far the vainest hero Red X had ever met. He was also a bit of a jokester, somewhat arrogant, and always overconfident in his abilities.

Red X gave the scowling teen another measuring look. The redhead was tall and buff, much more so than his counterpart had ever been. The ages of the sidekicks in this world confused Red X. Here, Dick Grayson had been born on December 1, 1996 and would be turning 14 this year. Yet in his world, Red X had been born on March 20, 1993. Speedy had been a year younger than him, but in this world, Roy Harper was older the Dick Grayson by four years, making him 17. The year was still 2010, the date had been the same upon his arrival in this dimension, so he hadn’t gone backwards in the time-stream. The teen shook his head; he couldn’t deny that this new Universe was completely baffling in comparison to his own.

Red X was brought out of his musings as Green Arrow signaled for them to follow him.

While he was trying to establish himself as a hero and not a sidekick in this world, he followed Green Arrow’s because this would be his first time fighting against Count Vertigo in either dimension. He of course knew the villains’ superpowers, Batman had made sure he knew what the worse criminals were capable of, but that information was dated and could possibly be worthless in this world. It was very likely that this Count Vertigo was essentially the same as his counterpart, but Red X had been trained to be prepared for anything. Plus, the masked teen couldn’t deny that he was curious to see what this Speedy could do.

Silently, all three heroes dropped down into the darkened room, only for the lights to turn on and find themselves surrounded.

"Next time, I'll check to see if the room is safe." Red X heard Speedy grumble towards a sheepish looking Green Arrow.

"Hey, I couldn't tell if there was a trap down here, it was too dark." Green Arrow defended himself as he pulled out his bow and readied an arrow.

"I have night vision." Red X commented simply, feeling a little amused at the confused stares that came from both heroes. "Just so you know for next time." He offered, shrugging lightly. The archers smirked and he easily slid into a ready stance.

"Unfortunately for you, there won't be a next time I'm afraid." Red X heard someone, no doubt Count Vertigo, say from just beyond the lights reach. "It's always a pleasure to see you again Green Arrow, Speedy, but I'm sorry to say I don't know your new friend." The Count continued in a Vlatava accent as he finally stepped into the light along with his group of thugs.

"Red X." The caped teen replied shortly as he mentally counted the amount of grunts.

"Ah yes, I've heard of you, the new hero who appeared in Gotham City little under a week ago. It is said that you’ve already run afoul with both Sportsmaster and the Mad Hatter.” Count Vertigo intoned just as Red X finished counting. There were thirty-two grunts in all. As Vertigo raised his hand, the large group started to close in on the three heroes. “I hear Sportsmaster has been most eager for a rematch." Red X shot a look towards the archers and tightened his fist, warning them that he was about to attack. At their slight nods, he turned his attention back to Count Vertigo.

"Well after tonight, I'll be able to add your defeat to my growing list of achievements." He replied as he teleported in front of Count Vertigo and delivered a sidekick at the man. He knocked Vertigo deeper into the shadows and looked back to see how Green Arrow and Speedy were fairing. The thugs had descended onto them like a veritable tsunami, but he could see that the archers were quickly disabling their foes. Turning his attention back to Vertigo, Red X launched himself into the shadows.

Red X turned activated his night vision and saw that the villain was just starting to get off the floor. X smiled as he heard Vertigo's irregular breathing, it seemed the man couldn't take a hit. That usually meant that he couldn't dish out one either, meaning he would only have to watch out for Vertigo's special power in this fight. Red X activated his cloaking device to limit Vertigo's already diminished sight even further and stalked towards his enemy, waiting for the fear of the unknown to build and make his opponent uneasy. It was a basic technique that Batman had first taught him, and one he preferred to use the most. As he hid in the shadows, the fear of his enemies would grow and they would more than likely make a fatal mistake that he could exploit.

He frowned though as he saw the opposite affect happen on Vertigo. Instead of his breath intake increasing, it slowed down and he seemed to calm. Red X felt like smacking himself upside the head for thinking that Vertigo was like any other criminal. Not even most of the villains that the Teen Titans had normally fought were on the same level as Vertigo. The man was Green Arrow’s archenemy for a reason after all. Count Vertigo had obviously figured out his strategy, but that didn't mean that the man’s vision had improved at all though.

"A wise move to push me into the shadows, but you should have made sure that you were the only one who would gain an advantage from the darkness." Vertigo said as he stared in the opposite direction of Red X and put something over his eyes. He should have kept attacking Vertigo and pressed his advantage instead of trying to scare the man. Deciding to rectify his mistake, Red X charged towards Vertigo just as the man turned to face him.

He staggered, suddenly feeling an onslaught of nausea, unable to keep his balance or even see straight. His sense of direction was so thrown off course that he didn't know which way was up or down. His head thumped so loudly, thinking proved to be an insurmountable task. He felt as if one wrong twitch might cause it to explode. Red X struggled to look up, finding five Vertigo’s filling his vision instead of one.

"How?" He grunted painfully as he tried to stand back up on his feet, though he couldn't remember falling to his knees. How had Vertigo seen through his cloaking device? The man tapped the thing resting over his eyes and Red X focused his sight long enough to see that they some sort of tech-goggles.

"Simple. You assumed that I would be at the disadvantage. These are thermal imaging goggles; I could easily see your approach because of your body heat." Count Vertigo explained as he increased his crippling attack on Red X, causing the teen to grunt in pain as the pressure in his head increased. "I have to say, you're definitely full of surprises Red X. Teleportation and invisibility, along with whatever tricks you have up your sleeve. You make a very dangerous adversary. It would be prudent to finish you off now."

"You… f-forgot t-that I… d-didn't come h-here alone." Red X hisseded through gritted teeth.

"What?" Falling for the bluff, Count Vertigo turned to search for an attacker that wasn't there. As quickly as he could, Red X grabbed the man's ankle and activated his Electric X, sending volts of red electricity racing through his body. Vertigo screamed for a few long seconds before he promptly passed out and crashed into the ground, a steady stream of smoke rising up from his still twitching body. X laid still for a moment as he tried to regain his bearings. After he was sure he wouldn't throw up, he shakily climbed to his feet and went to check on Vertigo.

The reflexive spasms were starting to stop and Vertigo’s breathing was regular, if a little heavy, but he should be fine. He tore off the metal thermal goggles that Vertigo had been wearing and quickly dropped them as he felt extreme heat burn through his gloves. X stared down at Count Vertigo's face and saw that there were raw, red, blistering burn marks surrounding his eyes. He grimaced at the grisly wounds that would no doubt leave very ugly scars. While he felt little pity towards the man who had just tried to turn his brains into mush, he knew that Vertigo would never let this go. No criminal would.

Sluggishly, Red X tied up Vertigo and slowly dragged the man back to where he and the archers had entered the bank. He paused as he saw Speedy and Green Arrow finish the remaining thugs and used the slight break to regain his failing strength. He could feel his legs shaking, straining to keep him standing. It was apparent that Vertigo's attack had done a lot more damage then he'd initially believed. Once Speedy and Arrow defeated the last of the thugs, Red X straightened his posture and tossed Count Vertigo at Green Arrow's feet. He walked into the light as both archers looked from him to Vertigo in surprise.

"You beat him on your own?" Speedy asked in disbelief, silently thinking that even he might not have been able to take down Vertigo on his own. Green Arrow shot Red X a searching look and X met his gaze without blinking.

"I fought him. I doubt I could have defeated him if I was here by myself though." Red X replied as he casually leaned up against a nearby wall. In truth, throwing Vertigo had taken up what little strength he'd regained and he needed to lean against something or else he'd fall over.

Bitterly, X did realize the accuarcy behind his words. Had he come alone, he wouldn't have been able to trick Count Vertigo to look away and give him the split second he needed to win. Green Arrow moved to check on the criminal’s state and inhaled sharply as he saw the burn marks that marred Vertigo's face. He looked back up at Red X and glared. He was too well trained to flinch at the heated look, but that didn’t stop the swell of blame that formed in his stomach.

"Jesus, what did you do to him kid?!" Green Arrow growled and Speedy approached to see what was wrong. The younger hero grimaced at the sight of Vertigo's face before he too joined Arrow in scowling at Red X. The burns looked much worse now that he could see them properly in the banks overhanging lights. He wouldn’t be surprised if they turned out to be First Degree Burns. Grimacing behind the safety of his mask, X shrugged before answering.

"What I had to." He knew that he sounded callous, but he'd really had no other choice. Count Vertigo had been causing him so much pain that he hadn't been able to regulate the amount of voltage to use. It had been a desperate move, one that he was starting to feel even guiltier for sorry for. But it had saved his life in the end and he couldn’t regret that.

"Speedy, I'm taking Vertigo to the hospital. Round up these guys and wait for the police to arrive." Green Arrow said as he carefully picked up Vertigo before turning towards Red X. "And as for you, you can get the hell out of my city." The archer snarled before he took to the roof tops. Red X didn't respond as he was too focused on trying to keep his balance as the pounding in his head returned with a vengeance.

Once Green Arrow was gone, Speedy quickly advanced upon him.

"What do you think you're doing, huh? A hero doesn't ever do that to a person, no matter how evil they may be!" The redhead shouted as he pushed Red X up against the wall that he'd been leaning against. Red X couldn't say anything and instead tried to keep his mouth firmly closed so he wouldn’t throw up.

Speedy released him after a minute, a look of disgust clearly shown on his face, and Red X fell to the ground as he felt his vision tilt. He gagged and mentally willed for his stomach to settle as he clutched his head in pain. X slowly became aware that he was making small moans of pain that only increased as the stabbing ache in his head escalated.

Speedy stared down in shock and concern as he saw Red X collapse in obvious agony. Obviously figuring out that something was wrong; he quickly bent down and gently rubbed the other teens’ back. He knew what Red X was suffering from as he’d experienced the effects of Vertigo's power for himself on more than one occasion, but he'd only seen a reaction this bad once before. At the time, Vertigo had used his full power on Green Arrow. Count Vertigo had almost killed Arrow then and it looked like he tried to do the same thing to Red X.

After ten minutes the pain started to fade a little and Red X tried to salvage what little pride he had left. He’d always hated looking weak in front of the others, it was why he pushed himself so hard. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and rested his back against the wall as he focused on breathing evenly, keeping his eyes closed since the light only made his head ache worse. He didn't need to open them to know that Speedy was still there, no doubt looking at him with worry. A sudden need to explain himself came forth and he sighed shakily before speaking.

"He'd gotten me, held me down with his power, and I have little doubt that he was trying to finish me off. My only chance was to distract him by saying that you two were sneaking up behind him. I grabbed his foot and unleashed a surge of electricity into him.” He had to pause to catch his breath and avoid another dizzy spell. The nausea pulled at his churning stomach and it took all of his willpower to not throw up.

“I didn't have time to measure the voltage. I was too heavily damaged to move away from him and my distraction would only buy me a second or two. I didn’t mean to hurt him so badly, but it was the only way that I could save myself." Red X explained and after a few more minutes, he summoned up enough strength to stand, finally forcing himself to make eye contact with Speedy.

He didn't see any anger or fault in the redheads’ eyes, only understanding and concern.

Red X released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It was good to know that he hadn't blown his chances of starting a friendship with this Speedy. He didn't particularly like the idea of being alienated by the rest of the hero community. If X was being honest with himself, he’d admit that so far his time in this new dimension had been a rather lonely existence.

"Are you going to be okay?" Speedy asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. Red X nodded slowly, hoping it wouldn’t cause his vision to go double again.

"I should be once I get some rest." He answered as he moved to help Speedy tie up the crooks. Speedy grabbed his shoulder, making him pause in confusion. Had he misread Speedy’s look?

"Then that's what you should do. I can take care of these guys and I'll talk to Green Arrow when he gets back. You go and get some rest." Speedy said and Red X nodded his head in thanks. "Don't worry about what Arrow said; you're welcome here anytime." He stared uncomprehendingly, before dipping his head once in farewell. Teleporting to his bike, and ignoring the following head rush, he drove to an abandoned factory just outside the Star City limits. He’d bought the building only a few days ago, making it a temporary base until the one in Gotham City was finished. X collapsed onto a small cot, nursing a crippling migraine and a horrible feeling in his stomach that had nothing to do with the nausea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red X's encounter with Speedy and Green Arrow earns him a lot of respect from the younger archer as well as a small friendship. However, Ollie has an opposite reaction, so don’t expect a feel-good relationship between them. I wanted this so that Speedy will feel like Red X will be the only one who truly understands him when he leaves to become Red Arrow.
> 
> Red X's struggle with Count Vertigo was to show that he isn't unbeatable. I want Red X to be one of the best young heroes out there, but I’m scared of making him seem all powerful. The scars that Red X accidentally gave Vertigo will earn him a lot of troubles in the future. Count Vertigo will certainly hold a grudge and want revenge, but he's not going to become Red X's arch-nemesis.
> 
> –Hexalys


	4. Heroes For Auction Part l

**UNKNOWN LOCATION: June 22, 21:58 EDT**

Red X grunted in pain as he awoke and pushed himself off of the hard cold floor. He blearily looked took in his surroundings and realized, with a small pang of apprehension, that he had no idea where he was. ‘ _Breathe, stay calm, and assess the situation._ ’ The mantra immediately set in, he was too well trained to react otherwise, and he looked over his own condition before attempting anything else.

The first thing X noticed was that his left ankle as felt heavier. Shifting around without making any noise, he found a thick metal cuff attached to the limb. He leaned closer and heard it giving off a low buzzing sound, meaning that the cuff was likely electric. A deterrent to keep him under control then, Red X decided not to find out what would happen if he tried to remove it. Examining the rest of his person showed that none of his belt was still in place and that his weapons had not been taken away, nor had anyone attempted to remove his mask. He frowned, finding the logic behind his entrapment very odd.

Why put a restraining device on him, but leave his weapons available? His captors had either seriously underestimated him, or they were that certain about their security. Perhaps leaving his weapons was a message, one that said he had no hope of escaping no matter what he did. If so, then that was a very impressive demoralizing tactic, but not one he was going to except without trying first.

Narrowing his eyes, Red X stood up to examine the room more closely, searching for a door or window. There were no obvious exits, but he spotted a seam in the wall, leading him to deduce that the small wall itself was the entrance to his prison. His cell was an eight by eight room, with only a ratty, thin mattress placed up against the opposite wall. The room itself was made out of concrete, a cheap cell considering steel and other metals would prove more effective. However, he spied a rather expensive looking camera had been installed in the right corner of his cell.

Taking a deep breath, X sat down on the mattress and took up the meditative position that Raven had taught him long ago.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos." He said calmly and repeated the chant several more times until his mind eased and he was able to focus his thoughts without any distractions. Red X tried to think about the last thing he’d done before waking up in this cell. Tracing his memory back, he easily remembered that he’d been hunting down leads for the last few days to find the two sidekicks who’d recently gone missing, Kid Flash and Aqualad.

He had been out searching through Gotham’s East End when Batman had found him.

_It had only been a week since his fight with the archers against Count Vertigo, and besides the occasional headache, Red X finally felt like himself again. Speedy had tried to get into contact with him to see if he was okay, despite Green Arrow’s orders to stay away, so he’d decided to give the redhead the access code and frequency to his comlink. He’d asked Speedy to share the code with Robin, but with no one else. He definitely did not want Batman calling just so that he could be interrogated. In hindsight, Red X had been grateful for having made himself available to the two sidekicks because it hadn’t taken long before something went wrong._

_Red X stood mounted on one of the numerous gargoyles that overlooked Gotham City. It was his second night searching for the missing sidekicks. He'd gotten the call last night from both Speedy and Robin. Their friends had apparently disappeared and their mentors had asked them if they knew where Kid Flash and Aqualad could have gone. When it was finally discovered that the teens were missing, Robin and Speedy had been forbidden to go outside._

_The League’s fear was understandable, as whoever had captured the two sidekicks could possibly be aiming to go after all of the younger heroes. A hostage situation seemed most likely and Red X shuddered at the thought of what would happen in such a scenario. Robin and Speedy had given him all the information their mentors had and asked for his help in finding Kid Flash and Aqualad. He’d of course agreed and immediately begun his search. Thanks to Robin’s hacking skills, he now knew that the League had pinpointed that Kid Flash’s and Aqualad’s location was at least somewhere in Gotham City._

_"What are you doing here?" Red X heard the gruff voice of his once mentor ask from behind him. Bracing himself, he turned slightly to look at the man, catching the way Batman’s left hand twitched slightly, as if he were about to unleash a wave of Batarangs._

_"If you must know, I'm looking for the missing sidekicks." He answered in a steely tone. X was not in the mood to be hounded by the Dark Knight. His search was slowly coming to a standstill and Red X felt as if there were a guillotine hanging just over his neck. Or rather, over the sidekicks’ necks. Red X carried no naïve delusions. Depending on who’d captured Aqualad and Kid Flash, they could already be dead at this point. Batman had clearly come to the same conclusion if his aggressive demeanor was anything to go by,_

_The counterpart of his mentor glared before moving to stand beside him, body posture rigid. Red X continued to watch the man warily out of the corner of his eye. Being an old pro at the Batman game, he knew that the man was reaching the end of his rope. He would have no patience for a teenaged vigilante with attitude. Despite wanting to seem indifferent in the man’s presence, X felt himself tense at the close proximity. It was an unspoken rule that almost everyone followed: always be on your guard when around Batman._

_"How did you find out about Kid Flash and Aqualad?" Batman growled and X forced himself to look out back to the city down below, making sure he could still see every movement the Dark Knight made._

_"You're the world's greatest detective, figure it out." He replied in a bored tone, noticing the way Batman's fists clenched suddenly, but felt no regret for his behavior. Everyone was under pressure and the search for the sidekicks was quickly becoming desperate. With tensions running high, Red X kept expecting something to go wrong for him personally._

_How long would it take before that desperation devolved in distrust? Would the League soon be pointing their fingers at him, their suspicion given way to paranoia? The idea bitterly reminded X that he had no allies to speak of in this world. He glanced at the man beside him, gritting his teeth at the glare he was receiving. Batman was just another hero here, one who would be just as likely to see him as an enemy._

_"We've come up with a plan, but we need your help." Batman stated after a few minutes and Red X turned to look at the Caped Crusader with suspicion, his mind instantly trying to figure out the basics of Batman's plan. Predictably, Batman met his gaze head on, leaving nothing to be construed from his expressionless face._

_"You know that whoever captured Kid Flash and Aqualad is going after sidekicks, yet none of you want to risk losing Speedy or Robin." X realized, almost smirking when Batman let a slight look of surprise show through his stoniness. "The League wants to use me." He continued stoically and Batman simply nodded, offering no platitudes or excuses. The “you’re expendable” went unsaid, but Red X couldn’t deny that the sentiment still stung._

_But then, that's what he liked about being Red X the most; no one sugarcoated anything for him. As an outsider, no one felt any need to shelter and protect him. It was almost like he was on equal footing with Batman, but he wasn't fooled by the man’s sudden desire to become allies. His mentor’s counterpart was only here because they had no other options. In fact, he was likely the last person the League wanted to ask for help from._

_The scars on Count Vertigo’s face of course drew the media’s attention. Even though the Count was known as a criminal by the League, he’d never actually been convicted of any crimes. As a member of the Vlatlava royal family, Vertigo had diplomatic immunity. In the eyes of the public and the law, he was innocent. So naturally, the man had painted himself as a victim when interviewed, claiming that Red X had attacked him without provocation. The Vlatlavan embassy had demanded his arrest for crimes against the crown. Fortunately, Vertigo had nothing but his own statement as evidence that X had attacked him, meaning he suffered no repercussions besides the public having a very low opinion of him._

_Green Arrow hadn’t helped matters any as he’d quickly informed the hero society about his opinion of what happened during the fight with Count Vertigo. Some had taken it as a sign that he wasn’t fit to be a hero while others just thought that it had been a rookie's mistake. One thing was unanimous in the hero community; he was seemingly too inexperienced and young to be unsupervised._

_At least the villain community was taking him seriously. Word had quickly spread that he was responsible for Vertigo's new scars and he'd been placed onto the same level of fierceness as the Dark Knight. Of course, that assessment was based on his brutality alone, not on his fighting skills or deductive reasoning. Still, he had never gotten this much respect when he had simply been known as Robin the Boy Wonder._

_"Will you do it?" Batman asked, bringing X out of his thoughts as the Dark Knight held out a familiar looking tracking device. He nodded and placed the tracer on the inside of his left glove to hide it from view. Batman nodded his head in thanks and Red X knew that was the only show of appreciation he was going to get. Hopefully the League would be more receptive of him if he helped save two of their own_ …

Red X stared at the wall in front of him as his memory finally came back to him. He had been attacked not even a few hours later at some random construction site. While he could have easily of beaten the ten thugs who’d been sent after him, he'd allowed himself to be tranquilized and captured in order to find the others.

Turning away from the camera slightly, Red X discreetly activated the locating device that was fortunately still under his glove and sat back, knowing he simply had to wait now.

* * *

**WATCHTOWER: June 22, 22:07 UCT**

Oliver Queen impatiently tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair. Batman had already given his tracer to Red X so all they could do now was sit and wait. Ollie personally hated the idea of getting help from Red X. That kid was not fit to be a hero, no matter what Roy said otherwise.

"I still don't like this." He said out loud to the others in the room. Wonder Woman shot him a look of agreement, but stayed silent. Flash had yet to move at all during the meeting, the man was not handling the situation well. Sure enough, Ollie could see the speedster with his head buried in his hands, looking like the poster boy of despair. Aquaman bore his grimness with poise in a way that only royalty could pull off, barely acknowledging Ollie’s statement with a slight nod, and not bothering to break his staring contest with the table. Superman stood off to the side, looking out through the window and down at the Earth while Batman manned the computer, waiting for Red X to activate the tracking device.

"Fortunately, you don't have to like it in order for the plan to work." Batman growled from his position and Oliver glared at him. He and Batman had never had the best of relationsions; there was just something about the Dark Knight that rubbed him the wrong way. It certainly didn’t help that he tended to view the Batman as something of a rival. But they’d been at each other’s throat more often than usual as their fights seemed to constantly revolve around Red X. For some reason the Bat was on the kid's side and it irked Ollie to no end.

"Why are you defending him? I told you what he did to Vertigo." He asked heatedly, itching for a reason to fight. He didn’t like all this standing around, it made him feel useless.

"Because Robin told me what really happened. You should listen to your partner more, Queen." Batman replied, not even bothering to look away from the computer screen. Ollie gritted his teeth in frustration. He hated it when Batman used his real name. It just served to remind the archer that he didn’t know the other man’s identity. No, only Superman was privy to that information and that was because the Man of Steel had taken a peak by using his X-ray vision. Oliver was about to retort with something verminous when said Kryptonian interrupted him.

"What do you mean Batman?" Superman asked and Oliver noticed that the rest of the room was giving their full attention to the Caped Crusader. Reluctantly, Ollie bit his tongue and remained silent. In all honesty, he hadn't really listened to Roy's explanation about Red X, he’d been too angry at the time.

"From what Robin told me, Vertigo tried to kill Red X during their fight. Vertigo had unleashed his full power on him. He was apparently under too much pain to regulate how much electricity to use, which resulted in the burns Vertigo received. Frankly, the boy's lucky he isn't dead." Batman informed the rest of the room in a low tone. The Dark Knight had turned his head slightly, as if to take in their reactions.

Ollie felt somewhat torn. On the one hand he still believed that the kid was a danger to himself and to those around him, but on the other he hadn't realized how close the kid came to dying at Vertigo's hands. A part of Oliver knew that the events of that night were partially his fault. He was the one who’d invited Red X along, unable to offer any support as the teen charged after the Count alone. Sure, he could have slipped away to help the kid, but he hadn’t wanted to leave Roy on his own.

Flash grimaced silently, imagining Wally having been in Red X’s position, and felt his stomach churn at the thought of his nephew coming that close to death. Fortunately there’d been no such situation in the year and a half that Wally had been working with him as Kid Flash, until now. Flash didn’t care what Green Arrow said, if Red X helped saved Wally, he’d never doubt the kid’s right to be a hero.

Wonder Woman furrowed her eyebrows in concern and shot Green Arrow a look, the man seemed too caught up in his thoughts to notice though. She was against including the children in general, feeling that battles were no place for young ones. But she respected her friends’ decisions, grudgingly understanding that Themyscira’s ways was not the ways of Man. However, one of those children, one who apparently had no caretaker or mentor to speak of, had come close to death. They should have taken reasonability for the boy, offer sanctuary and companionship. The only thing she could do now was pray that Hera would watch over him.

Aquaman closed his eyes and sighed heavily as he reflected upon the Batman’s words. His heart went out to the lone warrior, a boy on the cusp of manhood. What concerned him the most though was the boy’s lack of a mentor. For a brief second, he imagined Kaldur in with no guidance, alone with no friend in sight. And hanging over that lost Kaldur was the long dark shadow of his father. It was not a fate he wished to see on anyone.

"I’ve experienced those situations more than once. The only thing you can do is brush yourself off and try harder next time." Batman said, breaking the permeating silence that had fallen upon the room.

"Well if he really wasn't at fault, then why did he not say so?'" Diana asked and the others nodded their head in agreement

"Because he didn't want to offer any excuses for himself. Saying that he'd been close to death wouldn't make up for the fact that he has still scarred Vertigo. He doesn't want anyone to think that he's okay with the way that things happened. His silence allows you to judge him without confliction." The Dark Knight answered solemnly.

"But we also judged him without all the facts too." Superman added as he looked out into space. He found himself feeling sorry for the young hero. To be on your own and feel like the whole League was shunning you must have been tough. Now they had the nerve to go up to him and ask for a favor, to put himself in danger in order to save their own. They really had a lot to make up when it came to Red X.

"Well he's all right in my books. Anyone who's willing to risk their own neck for Wally is." Flash said in a serious tone that he rarely used and Aquaman nodded his head in agreement.

“Anyone who would help Kaldur earns my thanks and respect.” The Atlantian king intoned as if it were a decree.

A sudden loud beeping rang throughout the room and everyone looked to Batman who was furiously typing away on the computer.

"It's Red X; he's activated the tracking device. It looks like they're by the Gotham harbor, but I can't get an exact fix. There's too much blocking the signal." He said and the room smiled, relieved. They didn't have an exact location, but it wouldn't take them long to find the young heroes now.

* * *

**GOTHAM HARBOR: June 22, 23:02 EDT**

Red X opened his eyes, dropping his his meditative exercise when he heard the sound of his door opening. As he had determined, the far left wall peeled back from the rest of the room, revealing the way out. He watched as two men stepped into the room and resisted the urge to simply knock them out and search for the sidekicks on his own.

"Careful there kid, you try anything smart and you'll become the first human bug zapper." One of the thugs said as he gestured to the metal cuff and Red X nodded his head in understanding. He got up slowly and stepped out of the room, following the two henchmen through the dark hallways. They wore nondescript clothing, bulletproof vests, and carried what looked like nightsticks. At best they were hired guns with basic military backgrounds, but judging from their slumped postures, they were likely common criminals.

He memorized the paths they were taking, left, right, straight for two more intersections, an elevator ride down, another left, until Red X found himself being pushed into another room that looked similar to his cell. He waited and listened to the noise that was being made from just beyond the small room. It sounded like a crowd of people, they murmured to each other and he estimated that there was a decent amount of them out there. After a minute, the door opened and Red X was greeted to silence. Cautiously, he stepped into the lager room, blinking rapidly at the harsh lighting, and saw that he was inside an enclosed stadium.

As his eyes slowly adjusted to the light in the arena he saw that the crowd was not filled with your everyday common folk, but with criminals. Most were petty grunts and gangsters, but Red X spotted several lesser ranking criminals throughout the crowd such as Calendar Man, Captain Boomer, and Toy Man. He noted though that most of the audience seemed to be consisted of henchmen from Gotham villains like the mafia, Two-Face, Penguin, Scarecrow, Riddler, and X was sure he heard the infamous laughter of the Joker coming from somewhere in the stadium.

His attention moved to the two other doors on the opposite side of the arena that opened, letting in two groups of twenty henchmen. Again his attention shifted as a familiar looking man with sandy brown hair and green tinted glasses stepped onto the overhanging platform that jutted over the arena. The man wore simple black pants, a dark green dress shirt, a purple tie, and an emerald green jacket with a question mark on the left shoulder.

The Riddler physically looked like he had in Red X’s dimension; the man was definitely Edward Nygma. However the Riddler he was used to had worn a fine green suit with a black dress shirt, a green tie with a purple question mark, purple domino mask, and a green bowler hat with a purple band. Putting the costume change aside, X focused on what the puzzle loving villain was about to say, knowing that even though the Riddler could be annoying, it was important to listen when the man spoke. Often Riddler gave away his intentions without meaning to, his arrogance often leading to his own downfall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming to the first annual heroes for auction. We've got three items here tonight and they're all _dying_ to show off their skills. Our recently acquired third item is a new up and coming hero, but he's already caused quite a bit of trouble." The Riddler called out to the hushed crowd. “Having already defeated the Mad Hatter and Count Vertigo, how far will this new vigilante go?”

Red X listened and watched in silence as the thugs slowly advanced towards him. So he was going to have to fight for the enjoyment of the worst that society had to offer and then be auctioned off to the highest bidder? There was the option of refusing, but X didn't doubt that he would be electrocuted for resisting. Plus, every minute he spent fighting was another minute that Kid Flash and Aqualad didn't have too, unless they’d already fought before him.

"Riddle me this young hero, when it comes to pirates and buccaneers, what iconic symbol marks the spot for their buried treasure?" The Riddler asked and he smirked in response.

"A red x." He stated coolly. His metallic voice could be heard plainly throughout the stadium, causing some villains to look at him with more interest than others. The grunts charged at him and X stood still as they continued to get closer, his body slowly tensing up in preparation for the approaching fight.

One man broke ahead of the group and swung at Red X. At the last possible second, he dodged the sloppily thrown punch and kneed his attacker in the gut, sending him hurtling back into the advancing group. A few grunts were taken down by the man, but most had been able to dodge and continued their charge. X dodged and weaved through their attacks before he did a quick counterstrike and incapacitated each one. The total bout hadn’t even lasted a full three minutes. Once the last thug hit the ground, he turned to gaze up at a pleased looking Riddler.

"Next." He said in an unimpressed tone and the smirk on the Riddler's face vanished. He could hear the boisterous laughter of the Joker from above, as well as a murmur of impressed voices coming from the crowed. Well, he had wanted to build his reputation. What better way than to fight in front of the most influential criminals in the world?

"Another riddle about pirates then, shall we? I’ll give you an easy one. Time chases all men, but not even Captain Hook could escape this beast." The Riddler called gleefully from above and Red X paused, surprised by what the man was implying. Could they really have Waylon Jones? How? “Tic Toc, young hero, you’re running out of time. What is your answer?”

"A crocodile." He said slowly and the Riddler smiled sharply.

"Correct." Tensing, he suddenly heard the sound of rushing water and looked back at the door he had come through, stepping back as he water rushed into the arena. The opposite doors opened, allowing more water to pour through. Squinting, Red X thought he spotted the scaly back of his opponent come in with the rushing rapids. Moments passed quickly and the water had reached his thighs, leaving X to search for any sign of his opponent. He shifted his gaze backwards just in time to see the form of Killer Croc rise up and lunge for him. He dove forwards to avoid being caught and landed with a splash, struggling to maintain his footing in the deepening tide.

"Come at me boy. I look forward to feasting on your flesh!" Croc shouted as he charged again. Waylon Jones still looked as monstrous and terrifying as he always had. Killer Croc towered over him, standing at nine feet. His large muscles bulged and flexed with every movement, dark green scales shimmering in the light. His jaw was more pronounced than Red X remembered, but the jagged teeth were familiar and just as sharp as ever. The lights above the arena abruptly turned off and X was forced to activate his night vision.

Croc dove under the water and X bit back a curse. His night vision lenses could only see what little light the water reflected, not into it. Staying still, he managed to stop himself from flinching as he felt something brush up against his leg. He'd fought Killer Croc enough times to know that monstrous man enjoyed playing with his prey, reacting would only please the criminal.

Red X suddenly felt Croc's powerful grip wrap around his ankle and was quickly pulled into the water. He gasped as he felt claws or teeth dig into his right forearm and was glad he'd had the foresight to install a breathing apparatus into his mask. Bringing out his X-Wrist blade, he stabbed blindly at Croc who still had a hold on his forearm. He heard Croc’s muffled yell as he was released and quickly stood back up in the water that now leveled out at his chest.

"You've got more fight to you than I'd originally thought, prey." Croc growled as he surfaced and Red X could see the sheen of blood pouring over his face from a shallow cut in his forehead. He swallowed hard, knowing the cut had been close. Had his aim been just a few inches lower, he could have killed the reptilian man. Croc charged at him yet again, but his time the man chose to attack while above the water. Red X brought up his Bo Staff to counter Killer Croc's attacks and to help him maneuver better in the still rising water. He focused on remaining outside of Croc’s range, knowing that the criminal had the advantage in close combat.

Neither of his Constrictive nor Adhesive weapons would be able to hold Croc. There was a limit to their strength and would only slow Croc down for so long. With all this water to act as a conduit, his Electric X could easily knock Killer Croc out of commission, but then he too would be knocked out as a result. Red X frowned behind his mask as a plan took shape in his mind. He had to find some way to electrify the water without hurting himself.

Croc lunged at him, frustration from being unable to land a hit pushing the man onwards, leaving his side wide open. X took advantage of the hasty attack and teleported to appear above the mutated man. He slammed his open palm into Croc's back, his Electric X expulsing red volts, and the reptilian cried out in pain before he threw Red X off his back. X flew several feet away from his enemy and towards the arena wall. Thinking quickly, he created a large Constrictive X that stabbed itself into the wall. He flipped, landed on the X, and turned to see a recovering Killer Croc racing towards him.

"Is that the best you can do, boy?" Croc shouted before he dove into the water. Red X smirked victoriously for a second before shooting several Electric X's into the water. Croc screamed and thrashed in pain as the dark water suddenly glowed red from the electricity, illuminating the arena for a few brief seconds before fading.

From above the Riddler ordered for the water to be drained from the arena and the villains muttered excitedly as they waited to see what had happened. It took a minute before the lights turned on, revealing Red X standing over an unconscious Killer Croc.

"Next." He called out, baring a hidden smirk at the stunned crowd.


End file.
